Power-actuated pin-setting apparatus



Dec. 16, 1952 T. E. MEAD 2,621,930

POWER-ACTUATEDPIN-SETTING APPARATUS Filed May 8, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 TWA ZJL Dec. 16,1952

T. E. MEAD 2,621,930

POWER-ACTUATED PIN-SETTING APPARATUS Filed May 8, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES T F FICE 'POWER-ACTUATED PrN-sETTiNG APPARATUS 3 Claims.

This invention relates to power actuated-pin setting apparatus for use in connection with bowling alleys for the accurate and ready setting or spotting of-pins.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus for use in the game of ten pins, the apparatus providing pressure fluid means "for rapidly moving the pin setting carriage to pin setting position on the alley. Yet another object is to provide pressure fluid mechanism for moving the pin setting carriage against the force of spring means to pin setting position, the springs being efiective, upon the releaseof thepressure fluid, for returning the pin settingcarriage to elevated position. Another object is to provide simple mechanism which may be. adjustably supported upon the guide rod housings or guide tubes of the pin setting apparatus for supporting a pressure fluid cylinder in a position for engagement with the carriage and for moving the carriage to pin setting position, etc. A-still further object is to provide bracket means adapted to be secured to the housing or-guide tubes of pin setting apparatus andequipped with inwardly-extending arms, the inner endsof the arms being connected for engagementwith a fluid pressure cylinder'device for producing vertical movement of the carriage. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in asingle embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a broken perspective view ofapparatus embodyingmy invention; Fig. 2, atop plan view of the pressure fluid mechanism employed for moving the pin setting carriage; Fig. 3, a broken vertical sectional view of thefluid pressure cylinder and associated parts; Fig. 4, a side View in elevation, the pin -setting carriage being shown in elevated position; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the carriagein a lower position adjacent the alley; and Fig. 6, a perspective View of a form of valve apparatus which may be employed in connection withthe invention.

In the illustration given, it designates the alley upon which the pins are to be placed. The alley is provided with the usual side walls Ill The pin setting apparatus shown in the drawing is well known in the art and need not be described herein in detail. On each side of vthe alley is secured afframe support I l provided with a brace i2. Hollow cross bars l3 and I4 aresecured upon plates l5 carried by the members I I.

Guide tubes It provide housings for the guide rods it, which are fixed at the lower ends to the pin setting carriage II. The pin setting carriage is equipped with the usual recesses :18 forreceiving the pins to be placed orspottedon thealley and with the usual mechanism for uprightingthe pins in the selected spots upon the alley I9 when the carriage ismoved' downwardly into pin setting position.

The carriage is normally urged toward elevated position by the pivotally-mounted arms l9 andtt, which are equipped at their outer ends with tie rods 2! that extend downwardly'and are connected to the carriage. At. their inner ends, the arms I9 and 26 are. connected by levers with springs 22 and 23 housed within the frame tubes [3 and It, the action of the springs serving to maintain the levers i9 and 20, as is .well known, in theirelevated position, and thusholding the carriage H by meansof the tie rods 2| in the raised position illustrated in Fig. 1.

The carriage I? is equipped with a handle rod 24 mounted upon the pivot arms 25and to which are connected link arms 26 extending .downwardly and fixed to the carriage ll. Since such structure is commonly used and well .known in the art, a detailed description is believed unnecessary herein.

r In the operation of the pin setting apparatus manually, theoperator grasps the handle. and presses it downwardly so as to swing the carriage ll into a position just above the alley. The usual members are provided for engaging the alley and for setting the pins in vertical. position. Such downward movement is made againstthe force of the springs 22 and 23, and upon the release of the handle 24, the springs return the arms [9 and 2?} to the position shown in Fig. 1, andsuch arms liftthrough the connecting-links 2| the pin setting carriage IT to the elevated position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The manual operation described is extremely tiresome, taxing the strength of the pin boy to the utmost, and often toward, the end of the Workingperiod, resulting inimproperly set pins. As time progresses, thepin b'oytendsto become slower in the pin setting operation, and, the owner and the players lose considerable time in the use of the alleys.

In the specific illustration given, I provide simple power mechanism for effectively operating the pinsetting apparatus, the pressure being applied to the handle it at the central portion thereof, and quick action, both in thesett'ing operation and release operation, is efiected through the use of a simple pressure fluid control valve.

Upon each of the housing tubes I6 is secured an arm 21 by means of a clamping collar 28, the arms extending inwardly and upwardly and meeting at a. substantially central point. The ends of the arms are united by bolts or other means to provide a plate 29. Pivotally mounted upon the plate 29 is a compressed air cylinder 30 having a piston 3| and a piston stem 32 secured to the piston, as shown more clearlyin Fig. 3. The lower end of the piston stem 32 is provided with a recess 33 receiving the members 34 and 35 held within the recess by a pin 36. The members 34 and 35 are spread outwardly to provide diverging arms receiving the handle 24. The members 34 and 35 are preferably elongated, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, so as to engage a substantial portion of the handle 24 near the center of the handle, and thus to distribute the load or impact over a relatively wide area of the handle. The arms 34 and 35 are secured upon the handle 24 by bolts 31, or by other suitable means.

The lower end of the cylinder 30 is closed by a threaded closure plug 38 having a vent 39 therein. To cushion the upward movement of the piston stem, I provide a compression spring 40 bearing at its upper end against a closure 38 and resting at its lower end upon a washer 4| around the piston stem 32. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by a threaded head 42 having an inlet passage 43 equipped with a nipple 44 for receiving a flexible tube 45 leading to a fluid pressure control valve 46.

The control valve 46 may be supported at any convenient position. In the illustration given, it is supported upon one of the guide tubes or housings I6. It will be understood that any suitable type of valve may be employed. In the illustration given, the valve 46 is equipped with an intake nozzle 41 connected to any source of pressure fluid and with an outlet nozzle 48 connected to tube 45.

The valve casing is provided with the usual vent or outlet 49. The valve plunger or stem 56 is actuated by a handle 5| pivotally supported upon the bracket 52.

The pins upon the bowling alley [0 are indicated in the drawing by the numeral 53.

The sloping position of the cylinder causes a binding action on the piston stem 32 as it passes through closure plug 38 when the piston is in the extended or down position. I have found that this difficulty can be overcome while still using relatively thin cylinder walls by securing a guide ring 54 to the piston rod 32, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, and at a distance well below the piston 3|. In the specific illustration given, the piston rod 32 is provided with roughening or with longitudinal ridges 55, and the guide ring 54 is effectively anchored upon these ridges by forcing the ring thereon to the position shown in Fig. 3. The ring 54 engages the cylinder wall 30 at some distance from the piston 3|, and the condition which formerly resulted in a binding action, is now reduced to such an extent that smooth sliding action is secured at all points of the stroke.

Operation In the operation of the apparatus, the carriage I1 is normally in the elevated position illustrated in Fig. 1, the spring-loaded arms l9 and 25 servg to maintain the carriage H in this position.

When it is desired to reset the pins 53 at their proper positions upon the alley ID, the fallen pins are placed within the openings l8 of the carriage l1, and the valve handle 5| is depressed to direct pressure fluid through outlet 48 and tube 45 to the upper end of the cylinder 30. The pressure fluid at the top of the cylinder presses the piston rod 32 downwardly, transmitting the force against the yoke formed by the members 34 and 35 about handle 24. The handle 24 is depressed, and by means of the links 26, the carriage I1 is swung downwardly to pin setting position. As the carriage approaches the floor, the engagement of members with the floor uprights the pins in their proper positions, and the carriage is now ready to be retracted. Upon the release of handle 5|, the spring-urged plunger 50 moves upwardly, closing ofi the inlet pipe 4'! and connecting the conduit 45 with the exhaust port 49. The compressed air is released, and the carriage returns under its spring pressure to its normal elevated position.

By employing a single pressure cylinder 30 and the bracket means described for supporting it centrally with respect to the handle 24, I find that a balanced operation takes place, with the pin setting apparatus moving smoothly and evenly to either limit of its movement. The fixed guide tubes or housing members |6 support, through the inclined arms 21, the pressure cylinder 30 in the central position shown and enable it to function evenly by exerting pressure upon the central portion of the handle 24.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth a specific construction in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that such details of structure and form may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Iclaim:

1. In pin setting apparatus equipped with vertically-extending guides, a pin setting carriage mounted on said guides for vertical movement, arm-equipped clamps secured to the upper portion of said guides, said arms extending inwardly and joined at their inner ends, a piston-equipped cylinder pivotally mounted in an inclined position upon the said arm ends, a stem fixed to said piston and connected to said carriage, and means for supplying pressure fluid to said cylinder to move said piston relative to said cylinder.

2. In pin setting apparatus, a frame providing spaced vertical guides, a pin setting carriage mounted upon said guides for vertical movement, arms fixed to the upper end portions of said guides and extending inwardly toward each other, a pressure cylinder pivotally connected to said arms in an inclined position and provided with a, piston, a piston rod connected to said piston at its upper end and at its lower end connected to said carriage, means for admitting pressure fluid into said pressure cylinder to move said piston, and a guide ring connected to said piston rod at a spaced distance from said piston and slideably engaging the inner wall of said cylinder.

3. Power-actuated apparatus for use with a pin-setting machine having stationary vertical guides, a carriage guided thereby for vertical movement, and a handle member fixed to the carriage, comprising a pair of arms adapted to be fixed to said guides and extending inwardly toward each other to provide a suspension member, a power device comprising a pressure cyl- 2,621,930 5 6 inder provided with a piston and a piston rod, REFERENCES CITED connecting means pivotauy connecting said $115 The following references are of record in the pension member with one of the elements of said file of this patent; power device, said power device being supported thereby in an inclined position, and means for 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS admitting pressure fluid into said pressure cyl- Number Name Date inder to move said piston, said piston rod being 1,581,378 Bishop Apr. 20, 1926 provided with a guide ring connected to said 1,615,064 Bishop Jan. 18, 1927 piston red at a spaced distance from said piston 1,626,446 Bishop Apr. 26, 1927 and slidably engaging the inner wall of said cyl- 10 2,221,697 Ball Nov. 12, 1940 inder. 2,322,314 Pomeroy June 22, 1943 THEODORE E. MEAD. 2,398,558 Reimuller Apr. 16, 1946 

